The cap on MOT fees should be raised to at least £95 to protect independent garages from the current ‘unsustainable’ model, according to the Independent Garages Association (IGA).
The IGA says it is in talks with the UK Government over proposals to increase the test fee, which has been frozen since 2010. Plus, it points out that its members have faced increased costs in areas including staff training, labour, fuel and equipment during that period where the cap has remained unchanged.
Chief executive of the Independent Garage Association Stuart James said that members “cannot continue to sustain this ever-increasing cost burden” and that “the IGA will continue to challenge the Government to deliver an acceptable resolution to this issue before it causes a level of consumer detriment”.
A recent survey of IGA members – which include 4500 businesses – has shown strong support for increasing the MOT price cap. The same survey highlighted that some garages are already reducing MOT test capacity to focus on more profitable work.
The views of the IGA have been echoed by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), which is planning an industry roundtable event to discuss the issue on 21 October. The aim of the event, the group says, is to “identify an effective solution that is fair for MOT garages and fair for motorists”.
CEO of the IMI Nick Connor said that a review of MOT fees was “urgently overdue”, adding that “the fee structure has clearly not kept pace with the costs faced by MoT garages, from cumulative inflation and rising energy bills to equipment costs and critical technician training”.
The vast majority of cars fall into the Class 4 regulations for MOT testing, which has prices capped at £54.85. This class covers cars with up to eight seats, as well as campervans, dual-purpose vehicles (including pick-up trucks), private hire vehicles, and goods vehicles weighing up to 3000kg.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and Department for Transport (DfT) have traditionally been reluctant to raise MOT test fees for fear of passing on the cost to drivers, especially at a time of rising costs elsewhere.
However, the MOT test has been expanded several times to include additional elements. Earlier this month, the DVSA added a requirement for MOT testers to take and upload a clear photograph of the vehicle being tested in order to combat test fraud.
Many garages do not currently charge the capped price for an MOT test, with CAT research finding MOT slots offered online for as little as £39.99. Repair site Book My Garage reveals that the lowest price charged for an MOT during the past year on its site was just £19.99.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the DfT said: “We have no current plans to increase the MOT fee, but keep it under constant review, working with the DVSA and the sector to balance affordability for motorists with the financial sustainability of garages.”
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